Small Changes
by Inkedpizzaprincess
Summary: What would happen if Jess had just taken a soda instead of the beer? Rory and Dean never got back together, so she's single. See how one small change might end up leading to bigger changes in the future. Literati, of course!
1. Chapter 1

**So this is my first published story for Gilmore Girls and the first story I've posted in probably ten years! Please let me know if there's anything you'd like to see changed, and give some input if you've got time! I don't really know where this story is going, but it takes place at the dinner in Nick & Nora/ Sid & Nancy. This operates as if Dean and Rory never got back together. Otherwise, I think everything is about the same. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls or any of the characters, although I would snag Jess in a heartbeat!**

 **Small Changes**

 **Chapter One**

"You want a soda?" Rory asks him.

"I'll get it." He leans into the fridge and sees some Heineken's next to the soda. His hand hovers over the beer for a second. Then remembering Rory's welcoming smiling and bright blue eyes, he changes his mind. He rolls his eyes at his own stupidity over this goody-two-shoes that he doesn't even know. Something about her intrigues him and he supposes that stealing beer, being a jerk, and pissing off everybody she knows is probably not the way to get to know her.

"Hey, you get lost?" Rory comes back into the kitchen and smiles sweetly at him.

"Hey, do we have to stay here? Not like bail out entirely, but maybe not eat in there?" She shifts uncomfortably and glances back at the family room where everybody is gathering.

"How about I make you a deal? We eat dinner in there with them, and then we can eat dessert in my room, door closed and everything. I promise I eat quickly. What do you say?" She looks up at him and he's reminded vaguely of a puppy dog or a kitten or something equally cute.

"Door closed, huh? Isn't that against town ordinances?" He's surprised when she just laughs.

"Oh, I was raised by a rebel. I follow in her ways. Sometimes I even lock it." He gasps, jokingly.

"Alright, we have a deal. You have to sit next to me and protect me from the lemon couple." She laughs out loud at this and he thinks making her laugh is the greatest thing he's ever accomplished. He wants nothing more than to keep doing it.

"I can do that. Trust me, we're all crazy but it's a crazy that grows on you. Sookie is the greatest chef there is and you will not be disappointed you came." He just shrugs at her and she grabs his hand to pull him into the family room where everybody is sitting.

She glances down at their clasped hands and asks quietly, "Is this okay?"

He wants to admit that he never wants to let go of her hand, but figures that'll come off cheesy and desperate, so he just nods.

"Mom, Jess and I are gonna eat dessert in my room." Rory announces when she's done eating dinner.

"Oh, I get it. We're too old and boring for you two. That's fine, just make sure you don't leave the door open because I don't think Luke will appreciate any of your musical tastes." Rory laughs and pulls Jess into the kitchen to get dessert. She piles a brand new plate with two different pieces of pie, three scoops of ice cream, and four different cookies plus sprinkles a handful of jelly beans for good measure.

"Aren't you going to get anything?" She asks him innocently.

"No. No way is that whole plate just for you!" He's in disbelief, and she just shrugs looking a little sheepish.

"You're an animal!" He jokes, and is glad that she doesn't look upset at all.

"How are you not three hundred pounds?" This gets a grin out of her.

"We Gilmore's are mysteries to modern science!" She announces proudly. He grabs himself a piece of pie and a cookie and follows her into her room. He shuts the door behind them and glances around, not really sure where to sit. She sits on her bed with her back against the headboard and pats the end of the bed, indicating that's where he should put himself. He slides his shoes off and sits facing her.

"You like Bowie? I've been on a Ziggy kick for a while now." She turns toward the cd player and presses play and Suffragette City comes on.

"Yeah, Bowie is cool." He's surprised to realize that he's a little nervous about being alone with her. He's never really felt this way before.

"So… You're from New York?" Rory asks, clearly trying to come up with some sort of conversation.

"Yeah." He's not sure he wants to go into his sob story with this girl.

"It was just you and your Mom?" He can tell that she's just trying to learn about him, but he hates talking about his home life.

"Yeah, just Liz and I until I got to be too much to handle and she sent me here. Look, can we talk about anything other than parents? After underwater basket weaving, it's pretty much my least favorite topic. Alright?" She looks a little taken aback by his harsh tone, and he feels bad.

"Sorry." He mumbles and avoids eye contact.

"Hey, it's alright. Not everybody can be as lucky as I am in the parent department. Sure, my dad pretty much didn't exist for the first sixteen years of my life, but my mom more than makes up for that. Do you like school?" She grasps at something else to talk about and he's glad for the topic switch, but he files away the information about her dad.

"Not really, actually. I lied earlier, though. I do read, more than most people I think. That's really the only part of school I like." She looks both excited that he reads and disappointed that he doesn't like school.

"I'm not an idiot or anything, but I get bored and I'm not a fan of being told what to do." She snorts at this and he pretends to be offended.

"Well, you've got the whole devil may care attitude going on. I figured that bad boy smirk came with a dislike of authority!" He shrugs, but is secretly pleased that she is taking an interest in him.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" This throws him for a loop.

"Even if I had one back in New York, I think coming to Mayberry would have ruined that." He keeps his answer purposely vague to see what her reactions is. She seems almost a little disappointed at the idea of him having a girlfriend.

"It's good that I didn't have to deal with it, though. Less of a hassle this way. I've never really been the dating type, although there's a first time for everything." He smiles at her and she blushes at the implication.

"What about you?" She laughs a little bit.

"No girlfriend for me. I'm saving experimentation for college." This shocks a laugh out of him.

"No, I broke up with my boyfriend a couple months ago." He can't believe how thrilled he is to hear this.

There's an awkward silence for a minute.

"My mom doesn't want me." He almost can't believe that these words have come out of his mouth. He hopes and prays that she didn't hear him.

"Oh, Jess…." Now she's pitying him. He almost can't handle it and wants to run.

"I don't know why I said that. Forget it. Do you like the Strokes?" She sets her empty plate aside and he can't believe she actually finished all that crap.

"Jess, believe me when I say I understand how it feels to be unwanted by a parent. My mom got pregnant when she was sixteen, and she was strong enough to deal and do what needed to be done. My dad still isn't. Parents aren't perfect, and sometimes they just downright suck. I know getting sent here isn't your idea of a good time and it stinks to be away from everything you know, but I am sure somewhere deep down your mom did it because she wants to give you a shot away from her." He shrugs, not making eye contact.

All of the sudden, Rory is right next to him and is wrapping him in a hug. He doesn't reciprocate, but doesn't pull away.

"I know this is a weird little town and not nearly as cool as New York City, but it's not all bad. If you hate everything and everybody else in Stars Hollow, at least know you'll have me as a friend." She's pulled away to tell him this and he looks her in the eye.

"We're friends now?" The words along with his patented smirk make her backpedal.

"I mean, only if you want to be. I just thought we were getting along well and we seem," He cuts her off with a hand on her knee.

"We're friends, Rory. Chill. I was just teasing you." She laughs in an uncomfortable way.

Not too long after, Luke knocks on the door and tells Jess it's time to leave. He smiles at Rory before getting up and walking to the front door. He turns around to find that she's followed him.

"Tomorrow is Sunday." She tells him and he laughs.

"Yeah. Days of the week work the same in New York." She rolls her eyes at him.

"Want to go do something? We can see a movie or get some pizza or something." He thinks about this for a second.

"Sure. I'll stop by here tomorrow morning?" She shakes her head.

"I'll be at the diner for breakfast. We can leave from there." He nods.

"See you tomorrow then." Rory looks like she wants to say something else, but he turns around and walks down the steps. He stops and turns around to look at Lorelai.

He mutters a quick "Thanks", and then walks away again. Luke apologizes for his lack of communication and thanks them himself before taking off.

"Well, he's a ray of sunshine!" Lorelai exclaims as soon as the door is shut.

"Mom! He just moved to this tiny little place from New York City with no notice! Give him a break!" She defends Jess and ignores her moms suspicious look.

"What? Do you like James Dean?" Rory rolls her eyes.

"He's a nice guy. I think he's not really used to adult doing things that are good for him and not just themselves. I'm not saying he's not working the whole chip on the shoulder thing, but maybe he's got a reason for it, you know?" Rory turns away from her mother, knowing she'll be teased for the blush rising in her cheeks.

"Okay. I'll give the kid another shot. You just be careful around him. That smirk is dangerous. A smirk just like that one is why you were even born!" Lorelai wags her finger in front of Rory's face.

"Ew, Mom! We are just hanging out. No big deal. I doubt he even likes me like that." Lorelai notices that Rory doesn't mention her own feelings for the hoodlum, but decides to keep quiet.

"Alright. Goodnight, Rory. See you tomorrow."

Rory gets ready for bed and decides to read for a little while before bed. She finds, however, that she just cannot stay submerged in Emily Dickson's world. Giving up after the fifth time reading the same sentence, she turns off her light and tries to go to sleep. She has a hard time shutting off her brain, however, and finds herself thinking about brown eyes and how good it would feel to kiss that smirk off Jess' face. Even the thought to herself, in the privacy of her own bed makes her blush. That doesn't stop her from wanting to do it, however.

Meanwhile, across town on a blowup mattress, Jess is having the same difficulty sleeping. He's never particularly been into girls beyond having sometime to do and the fun of whatever physical stuff they would let him get away with. He didn't really do the whole crush thing, and he certainly wasn't a relationship guy. Rory Gilmore has him thinking and feeling things he doesn't even know he's capable of, though. There is something about the fact that she looks so innocent and yet could crack jokes about being a lesbian that really draws him to her. She is sweet, of course, but she also has a side that's a little more wild. He definitely wants to be the person to bring that out. Plus, she has great taste in books and music, so that has to bode well for them having a good time together.

 **A/N: Please let me know what you think and if I should continue this!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much to everybody who read the first chapter of this story, especially everybody who reviewed and followed it! I did get a review that mentioned the format being a little difficult to read. Hope this is better! Keep the comments coming! Enjoy!**

 **Small Changes**

 **Chapter Two**

The next day, Rory is in a state of panic over what to wear.

"Get a grip, Gilmore! You're just hanging out as friends." She grabs her favorite jeans and a form fitting blue sweater and decides that this has to be good enough.

She walks into the dinner precisely at 9:00 and, not seeing Jess, takes a seat.

"What can I get you?" Luke comes up to her with a coffee cup and the pot ready to fill it up.

"Um… Is Jess awake? We were supposed to meet up and then hang out today." For some reason, she feels very weird about talking to Luke about this, even though there's nothing going on.

"That explains the alarm this morning then. Yeah, he should be down in a minute." Luke leaves her with her coffee cup and not even thirty seconds later Jess is walking over to her.

"Morning." He mutters as he slides into the seat across from her.

"Not a morning person?" She asks, chuckling a bit.

"I'm never out of bed this early, but since I had a decent reason to be…" He trails off at the end of his sentence and notices the pink rising in Rory's cheeks. He's suddenly a lot happier than he was when his alarm clock went off this morning. Maybe this small town stuff won't be so bad, he thinks.

"Do you want to eat breakfast here? Then I was thinking maybe we could hit Andrew's. That's the local bookstore. He's got a pretty good selection and he'll order anything we want. Then maybe pizza? We can come back here for lunch if you would rather or we can order Chinese and go back to my house. We can rent a movie to watch or there's something showing tonight at the local theater. Whatever you want."

"All in one breath. That was impressive! Bookstore sounds like a good idea, and then maybe we can just see where the day takes us?" He throws in a wink at the end just to see if he could get her to blush again. She doesn't disappoint.

They eat their breakfast in relative silence, then Jess let's Luke know they're leaving. As he walks away from her, Rory notices just how cute he is. He's wearing a tight white long sleeve shirt with a blue vest over it and slightly tattered jeans. His hair is tousled, but in a purposeful way. She tries not to think too much about running her fingers through it and dispel the burning in her cheeks before he returns with two to-go cups of coffee. Her fingers brush his when she takes hers and the blush returns.

"It's this way." She lets him know and points towards Andrew's. They walk close together, with their shoulders almost touching. He surprises her by grabbing her hand in his own.

"Is this okay?" He echoes her words from last night. She doesn't trust herself to speak with anything more than a squeak, so she just nods.

"Hemingway is so boring! I can't believe you like him so much! I can't make it through anything he's written!" She exclaims loudly when he pulls a book off the shelf.

"Boring? As opposed to Ayn Rand's political rants? You're crazy!" He counters.

"Anybody who can manage a forty page monologue can't be considered boring!" He can't help but think how cute she looks when she's fiercely defending her literary choices.

"Fine. I will give The Fountainhead another try if you at least give A Farewell to Arms a fair shot."

"Deal."

"Is there anywhere around here to hang out without having the entire town watching?" He asks after they've made their purchases.

"We could go to the bridge. Nobody really goes there."

"Perfect."

They sit down, hanging their legs over the edge and Rory gets a shock when a light paperback is placed on her lap. It's her copy of Howl that he pulled off her shelf last night.

"You stole my book?" She tries to sound disapproving, but somehow doesn't manage it.

"Thought I would put a few notes in it."

"You defaced my book?!" She flips through the pages and reads a couple of his scribbles in the margins.

"These are actually really insightful, Dodger." She throws him a sweet smile.

"Dodger?"

"Figure it out." She continues to read.

"Oliver Twist."

"Very good. Although I suppose most pickpockets don't return the property." She shrugs.

"I like it."

They both read their novels for quite sometime before Jess looks up and catches Rory looking at him. She blushes and tries to pretend she wasn't, but he calls her out on it.

"What are you looking at?"

"You." He rolls his eyes.

"Yes, I deduced that. Why?" She sighs and avoids eye contact.

"You're like this incredible mystery. You're very smart, probably smarter than me, but there seems to be something else there. Like an anger or a sadness or something. I know this doesn't even make any sense because I just met you, but I just don't want you to feel anything bad. God, I'm such an idiot. You don't even know me and I don't know you. I shouldn't pry and make stupid observations." She tries to get up, but he stops her with a hand around her wrist.

"Don't go." He hates that he sounds so pleading.

"I'm sorry. I know you probably don't want to talk to me about anything. Just know that I'm here if you need me." She finally looks him in the eyes and he's shocked to see tears forming there.

"I'm not the best at talking. The verbal thing kind of comes and goes. It's nice to know that I have somebody to listen. And it's not stupid." He tries to reassure her, even though he has no clue why she's upset.

She nods and then turns back to her book. He tries to do the same and forget about this incredibly caring outburst from truly the strangest girl he's ever met. Something in him kind of snaps, though. He takes a deep breath and decides to get it over with.

"My dad left when I was born. Said he was going out to get diapers and never came back. I don't know much about how my mom was before that, but I got the impression that she tried to get herself together when she got pregnant. When Jimmy left, it's like all that work left with him. My life has been trying to make sure Liz got out of her drunken and high stupors long enough to go work so we didn't end up on the street. We spent a lot of time in shelters for battered women because she always picked losers. When I got old enough, I got pissed. I would leave for days at a time and stay with friends. When I came back, the guys were always gone and usually any money Liz had was too. I had to hide her paychecks so they didn't go in her vein. It sucked." He glances at Rory to see how she's taking all of this.

"Jess… I don't know what to say, other than I am going to do everything in my power to make sure you never have to go back there again." She throws her arms around him and squeezes him tightly.

"You're the first person I've ever told any of that to." He admits quietly.

"I'm glad you told me. Let's not dwell on it, though, okay? You're here now. That's what matters. If you ever want to talk more, I'm here, but know that you're out of that situation." She looks up at him with those big blue eyes and he doesn't think about it. He leans down and touches his lips to hers softly.

"Thank you." She seems a little shocked, but nods and then snuggles up to his side. They sit silently for a while until Rory can't take it any longer.

"Do you want to be my boyfriend?" He laughs a little at her outburst and how straight forward she is.

"I suppose I should be. I certainly don't want you kissing other guys like this." He takes the book out of her hand and starts to read aloud.

They sit for a long time, taking turns reading to each other before Jess hears Rory's stomach rumbling.

"I guess I'm going to have to get used to feeding you every couple of hours, huh?" She smiles sheepishly and ducks her head.

"Gilmore trait, I'm afraid. We constantly eat and drink coffee. Mom swears it's part of our charm." He kissed her cheek.

"It's very charming." He assures her and they head off towards her house.

"Chinese okay?" She pulls out the take out menu as he nods and they order.

"We can rent a movie if you want?" She suggests after they have successfully made it through the entire chicken section at China Doll.

"That works for me." He pulls her up with him and they head off to the video store.

"Almost Famous? I guess that works." She shrugs.

"Well, it's no Willy Wonka, but I think you'll like it." He teases her gently about her movie choice.

"Hey! Willy Wonka is a classic! We need candy either way, though." She pulls him towards Doose's.

"You just had three entire containers of Chinese and now you want candy?" He asks, incredulous.

"Hey! You said my stomach was charming!" She pretends to be offended.

"Give me some time to adjust."

They're in the candy aisle deciding, when this tall lanky guy comes over to them.

"Dean!" Rory manages to squeak out, and judging by her deer-in-the-headlights look, Jess gathers this is her ex.

"Rory. Aren't you going to introduce me?" Jess doesn't like the tone Dean is taking with _his_ girlfriend.

"Dean, this is Jess. Jess, Dean." Rory couldn't possibly look more uncomfortable.

"Good to see you're slumming it now, Ror. Geez, you couldn't have even found somebody that knows how to brush his hair?" This sends Jess over the edge.

"Excuse me? Maybe she just needed somebody who actually has a personality and doesn't bore her to death." Dean looks taken aback at this.

"You told him I bored you?" Rory looks a little panicked, and Jess knows this isn't going to end well.

"I didn't tell him anything about you, but you don't get to come over and act like a jerk to my new boyfriend. You don't have the right to pass judgement on any part of my life, Dean." She's pissed, and Jess is actually a little surprised at how fierce she is.

"You know what? Good luck with her. She's such a prude bitch," Dean doesn't get to finish his thought because Jess has punched him in his jaw.

Dean looks shocked for a second before he shoves Jess into a display of soup cans. Jess vaguely registers that this may not be the best move right now, but he takes another swing at Dean because he's seeing red.

"Jess! Dean! Stop!" Rory cries out just before Luke pulls the boys apart.

"That's enough! Are you kidding me, Jess? You've been here for three days and you're already starting fights?" Luke is livid as Jess wipes some blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Whatever." Jess marches passed everybody and leaves the market, leaving a mess of cans and an upset girlfriend.

"He was just defending me, Luke." Rory says sadly before following Jess into the alley.

"Come to tell me you've had enough of hanging out with the trash from the big city?" Jess snaps at her.

"Actually, I came to see if you're alright, but if you're going to be a jerk then I'm leaving!" She storms off down the street towards her house. Too late, Jess realizes his mistake and calls after her, but it's too late.

"Great. The only person in this whole damn town that actually likes you, and you had to mess it all up. Good going, Mariano." He mutters darkly to himself before going back into the market to face his Uncle.

"You are going to help Dean clean this up and then you're going back to the diner for the closing shift. If you can't stay out of trouble on your own, I'll make sure you're too busy." Luke leaves in a huff, and Jess grudgingly starts picking up cans. Dean glares at him the whole time, but has the sense not to say anything.

By the time the diner closes, Jess has had it with everybody in this God-forsaken place. He grabs his jacket and storms out, ignoring Luke calling after him. He pulls out a cigarette and lights it on his way to the bridge. He's not exactly surprised to see Rory there.

"Those things are gross." She says by way of greeting. He takes it from between his lips and throws it in the water.

"Sorry." He mumbles.

"For the cigarette or for the stupid fight?" She asks bitingly.

"Both? Look, I know I shouldn't have lost my temper but you know I only did it because of what he called you!" He defends himself fiercely, and she sighs. It's silent for a second before she starts to talk.

"I know you had good intentions, but you're new to town and now you've got a reputation for being a bad guy. Not exactly the rep I want my mother knowing about when I tell her you're my boyfriend." He looks shocked.

"I'm still your boyfriend?" She giggles at this.

"You think I'm honestly going to break up with you for punching a guy that called me a prude bitch? Look, Dean is just pissed because of how we broke up. He said he loved me and I couldn't say it back. He's just hurting I think. It doesn't excuse the things he said, but there it is." He kisses her gently.

"Thank you for understanding." He whispers so softly he's not even sure she's heard it.

"No more fights, though. I don't care what anybody says about me. Got it?" He makes a gesture of crossing his heart and she rolls her eyes.

"Good. Now walk me home?" It's posed as a question, but they both know he won't refuse.

"I'll see you tomorrow for breakfast before I go to school, okay?" He nods and takes her face in his hands to kiss her.

The kiss continues maybe a little longer than either one of them was anticipating, and they both pull apart a little breathless when the porch lights flicker.

"Very funny, Mom!" Rory calls and they both hear Lorelai laughing to herself.

"See you tomorrow." He waves as he walks through the lawn and Rory goes into the house.

"How was Rocky?" Lorelai bombards her as she walks in the house.

"Hey! He was defending me! I told you what Dean said." Lorelai throws her arm around Rory's shoulders.

"I know sweets, and we didn't really get a chance to talk about that. Are you okay?" They both flop on the couch and Rory sighs heavily.

"It doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would. Sure, it hurts that he said something so nasty just because I wouldn't tell him I loved him. I get that he's not exactly thrilled with how it ended, but that was months ago. It doesn't really matter, though. I'm happy with Jess." Lorelai knows the look in her daughter's eyes, and can't help but be a little concerned.

"Well, I'm glad. Just do mommy a favor and take things slow, okay? I know Jess is new and exciting, but just stick with what you're comfortable with." Rory's eyes widen when she realizes what her mother is alluding to.

"Mom! I'm not ready to do… that! I just started dating Jess today!" Her voice takes on a shrill edge and Lorelai chuckles.

"Okay! I'm just being a mom. But Rory… you'll tell me if you think you're ready for… that, right?" The bright red splotches on her daughters face assures her that it won't be anytime soon, but Lorelai knows better than most what a smart bad boy can do to a good girl.

"Sure. We'll talk." Rory makes a quick exit from the room, and Lorelai is left to wonder when they got to the point where she's worrying about her daughter repeating her own mistakes.

"I'm too young for this." She tells the empty room, then pulls herself up the stairs after yelling goodnight to her daughter.

Rory lays in bed for a while and contemplates the day. On one hand, she's genuinely excited that she has another boyfriend and that Jess is such a great match for her. On the other, though, her mothers questions have given rise to things Rory wasn't even considering before. Jess is clearly more experienced than her, and a little older on top of that. Though they didn't exactly discuss any of his previous relationships, Rory could tell he had been around the block more than her by the way he kissed her. He knew what he was doing.

Instead of worrying herself more unnecessarily, she resolves to talk to Jess about it tomorrow and finally gets some sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this one. Sorry it's a little short! I did have one comment about how quickly Rory and Jess made things official and I see the point, but honestly I think they would have moved pretty fast into it. She didn't even blink after Dean broke up with her at the Dance Marathon before she got together with Jess. Plus, they're seventeen. I'm not going to necessarily make it easy on them, either. This chapter, however, is entirely self indulgent fluff. Let me know what you think!**

 **Small Changes**

 **Chapter Three**

"Curse this stupid uniform!" Rory yells as she looks at herself in the mirror. Lorelai pokes her head in the room.

"What's wrong sweets?" Rory gestures to her Chilton uniform.

"This is the problem! It's so ugly and unflattering! I thought I liked not having to decide on a different outfit every day, but not anymore. I look ridiculous and I have a hot boyfriend and I doubt he cares what I wear to school, but I want to look good for him and I just can't and don't in this horrible skirt and jacket!" Lorelai grins at her daughters rant.

"Well, hon, it's kind of not optional." At Rory's desperate look, Lorelai laughs a little.

"Mom! You are the queen of fashion! You have to do something with this! You can fix this!" She pleads with her mother.

"I do have that extra skirt that I hemmed to a length that you deemed inappropriate. I can also probably take in your shirt so it isn't frumpy. The knee socks will be very becoming with the shorter skirt and you can wear your all black vintage wing tipped shoes because they're sleeker than your saddle shoes. You can wear the grey Chilton sweater that I accidentally shrunk and hid in my closet if you get cold, but I really think your best option would be that cute black scarf over your newly shaped shirt. Also, leave the tie off and the top buttons undone until you get on the bus. Just the top two, because you're still a lady. You put on some good tasting lipgloss and a little mascara and leave your hair down, okay?" Rory throws her arms around her mother.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the best mommy and best friend a girl could ask for!" She runs up to the restroom to follow her mother's instructions to a tee.

"Well, what do you think?" Rory does a little twirl for Lorelai after she's gotten the newly altered outfit on.

"I change my mind. It's too appealing." Lorelai jokes, and grins at the blush on her daughter's face.

They walk quickly to Luke's because the alterations cost them seven minutes of their allotted breakfast time. Not that it's too much of an issue, though, because they can always just speed up their eating.

"Hey!" Rory greets Jess, who is waiting by the counter with two coffee mugs and the pot in his hand.

"Hey! I saw you two coming." He lifts the pot by way of explanation.

"You're nice!" Rory dives in for a sweet kiss on his lips and then joins her mother at their favorite table.

"He comes bearing coffee. I'm glad I'm finally reaping the benefits of having a daughter! Hi, Jess!" Rory rolls her eyes at her mother's joke.

"Hi." Jess isn't entirely sure what to do with his girlfriend's eccentric mother.

"Lorelai, Rory. Morning! What can I get you?" Luke asks, approaching their table.

"Pancakes with bacon and toast and a side of bacon, please!" Lorelai answers enthusiastically.

"Same here, Luke! Can we get a muffin to share while we're waiting too?" Rory looks up at Luke hopefully.

"Two orders of death and a muffin. Jess, will you grab their muffin?" He walks away to do just that.

"He's totally trying to play it cool, but he definitely noticed the outfit." Lorelai whispers to her daughter.

"You think?" Rory isn't as sure.

"I know!" Lorelai conspires, getting joy out of Rory looking so pleased.

"One chocolate chip muffin. I assumed that was the right choice. You two don't seem big on fruit." Jess sets the muffin down between them.

"Only if it's gummy, or on top of a cocktail." Lorelai confirms.

"So. When does your bus leave?" Jess directs his question to Rory.

"In about forty five minutes." She informs him sweetly.

"Well I know it's not gonna take you two that long to eat your breakfast. Can I walk you to the bus stop and give you my notes on the little bit of The Fountainhead I've been able to force myself to read?" He doesn't exactly make eye contact with her, which Rory finds unusual. She chalks it up to him being a little uncomfortable around her mother, though.

"I think you better! Oooh! Bacon!" She snags a piece off the plate before Luke even sets it in front of her on the table.

"I guess I'll leave you to your artery clogging then." Jess shakes his head and turns to walk away.

"Jess!" Lorelai calls after him. "Why don't you join us?"

He looks to Luke to confirm this is okay and, receiving a shrug in response, grabs a doughnut and sits down next to Rory.

"So how's Adrian doing?" Lorelai directs to the teenager.

"Mom!" Rory protests.

"Hanging out with Paulie, I think." Jess doesn't miss a beat.

"Hey, I'm just messing with him. If I would have been around to hear Dean say that to you… Well, I wouldn't have hit him because I know prison and I would not agree, but I would have been pissed too. Just, try to limit your Stallone impressions from now on, okay kid?" Jess inwardly bristles at being called kid, but nods in response.

"Okay. Mommy has to go meet some crazy lady about some luncheon at the Inn, so I will see you later?" She stands up and passes some money to Rory then calls out a thank you to Luke on her way out.

"Your mom is kind of strange." Jess says lightly, watching the brunette leave.

"That she is. She'll grow on you, though. Ask Luke. He couldn't stand her when he first met her." Rory assures him.

"Yeah, and now he's in love with her, so I suppose we'll be buds in no time." Jess deadpans and almost laughs at Rory missing her mouth with her bite of pancake.

"What are you talking about?" She demands.

"Luke. He's in love with your mom. I think she's probably got a thing for him, too, judging by the hair flip she did to get his attention." Jess doesn't understand why this is coming as such a shock to Rory.

"She did a hair flip? I didn't see a hair flip! That's her best non-verbal move! She's been trying to teach it to me for years and I can't get it down. Does Luke know this? I don't think my mom knows this. She would have told me, I think. No, I know. She would have told me if she knew she had feelings for Luke." Jess isn't quite sure if he'll ever get used to her rants, but he has to admit she looks pretty cute flustered and out of breath. It inspires him to make her that way for an entirely different reason.

"I don't think either one of them is aware of it. I do, however, intend on mocking him about it until he gives in and just asks her out already. Think of it: our guardians are so busy dating each other that they won't care we're spending time alone." Rory blushes profusely at the implications of his words.

"Well, if it would make them happy, I suppose it couldn't hurt to encourage the relationship. For purely selfless reasons, of course." She smiles slyly at him and he can't resist kissing her softly.

"Strawberry kiwi?" He asks, winking at her.

"Guess you'll have to check again to find out, won't you?" She unconsciously bites her bottom lip as she flirts, and he obliges.

"You two! Go to school!" Luke barks, seeing them lip-locked. Rory ducks her head and apologizes, then pays him and gathers her things. Jess grabs his jacket and backpack from behind the counter and follows her out of the diner.

They walk hand-in-hand to the bus stop and take a seat.

"I didn't want to say it in front of your mother, but that uniform is really working for me. It's the intelligent version of a Catholic school girl and I like it!" Jess sneaks a kiss that is decidedly less chaste than the ones in the diner.

"Well thank you!" She squeaks, thoroughly enjoying his compliments, even though her face is quite red.

"I'm surprised they sell them that short, though." Jess teases.

"They don't. I had a growth spurt!" Rory assures him, giggling slightly.

"Would this growth spurt go by the name of Lorelai and be handy with a needle and thread?" Jess inquires, kissing her cheek.

"Alright! I admit it! I had my mom shorten my skirt and take in my shirt so I didn't look so frumpy for you!" She huffs and then her eyes narrow in suspicion. "How did you know?"

"I saw a picture in your house of you wearing a much longer skirt and much larger shirt." He admits.

"I feel like an idiot now. You weren't supposed to know!" Rory exclaims dejectedly.

"Why do you feel like an idiot? I think it's flattering that you did it for me. Completely unnecessary, but flattering." He assures her without voicing his explicit opinion on just how good she looks.

"Unnecessary how?" She questions.

"Unnecessary in the way that it's not necessary. I love the shorter skirt and the tighter shirt, don't get wrong, but you look great in anything, Rory." He doesn't know how these saccharine things keep coming out of his mouth as it's not really his style, but seeing her light up at his words makes the internal hit to his pride worth it.

"You're sweet!" She says it like she knows he won't take it as the compliment it's meant to be.

"Don't go spreading that around. I have a reputation to uphold, you know." He mumbles in false displeasure. Truthfully, he wants nothing more than to please this girl, which is an entirely new concept to the teen.

"My bus is here, so I've got to go. I'll see you at Luke's this afternoon, though, okay?" She kisses him swiftly.

"If you must!" She just laughs at him.

"Stay out of trouble, Dodger!" She warns as she steps onto the bus. He watches her take a seat next to an open window and wave at him.

"Save your trouble for me, Britney!" She rolls her eyes at his lame reference, but he can tell she's secretly pleased.


End file.
